Courtship Arc
by alephitina
Summary: There's more to a relationship than just a slap on the cheek. A series of ficlets relating to the various courting traditions of humans and demons. YuuriWolfram. The rating will change from chapter to chapter.
1. Sunrise

Title: Sunrise

Pairings: Yuuri/Wolfram

Rating: PG

Summary: Wolfram shares something special with Yuuri.

A/N: This was written for the 'sunrise' prompt as part of the 100situations challenge at the LJ community.

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The first thing that Yuuri felt when he woke up was a strong hand on his shoulder, which was shaking him rather mercilessly. "Wake up, Yuuri! Come on, you lazy wimp! Wake up!"

"Mmmm? Wolfram? Is it morning yet?"

"No, but you need to get up now." Wolfram pulled the blankets away from Yuuri, leaving him shivering in the cold night air.

"If it's not morning yet, then why do I need… Oh Gods, are we under attack?! Go inform Conrad, while I go and get Greta." Still talking, Yuuri leaped out of the bed and started hastily pulling clothes on.

Wolfram shook his head and tried to hide a smile as Yuuri tripped over his own pants, "No, we are not under attack, so you can relax. I just need to show you something."

Once he realised that there was no immediate danger, all the energy seemed to leave Yuuri and he collapsed back on the bed. "Well, can't it wait until the morning? I mean it's still dark outside."

"Actually, it can't. Just finish getting dressed. You have five minutes!" Wolfram looked very severe indeed as he gave Yuuri a good shove to make sure that he did not fall asleep again.

It took Yuuri less then five minutes to make himself at least somewhat presentable, and soon the boys were leaving the castle's grounds. From the direction in which they were headed Yuuri could tell that their destination was a nearby hill. During the day time this hill had a wonderful view of all the surrounding lands for miles ahead, but for the life of him, Yuuri could not figure out why they would need to go there at night.

Once they reached the top of the hill, Wolfram settled down and stared at the barely visible line of the horizon as if waiting for something.

Yuuri had to admit that this quiet and pensive side of Wolfram was completely new to him and frankly it was a little unnerving. "Wolfram? What are we doing here exactly?"

"You know, Yuuri, even though you've lived in Shin Makoku for quite a while now you still don't know a lot of our traditions. Gunter does try his best to teach you, the poor sod, but you don't pay enough attention to his studies, do you? Well, the reason we are here is to introduce you to another one of our traditions. This one is part of the courting process, the same way slapping the left cheek of a person and protecting your chosen fiancé from harm are."

A smile appeared on Yuuri's face after hearing that. "OK. So you brought me here to make out?"

"Don't be dense. We could have done that in the warm bed. No, I brought you here to share something with you. Something which no one else knows about me. This is the next step in the courting – you have to be able to share with your chosen person some very private part of yourself."

Yuuri was still staring at him blankly, "Could you possibly be any more cryptic?"

"Hush, and let me talk already. Do you think this is easy? You see, this place is where I go whenever things get to tough to handle, but I don't wish others to see me at my weakest. I suppose you could call it my sanctuary." Wolfram's voice hitched and for a moment it looked as if he might not continue. But after taking a fortifying breath he went on, "I come here to watch the sun rise. Seeing all that light chase away the darkness of the night brings me hope. The fact that the sun raises everyday and that I am still here to witness it is a miracle in itself. It makes me appreciate the smaller things in life that are otherwise forgotten, taken for granted. It makes me remember the really important things in life and why I must fight to keep them safe. I brought you here so I could share my sunrise with you."

Throughout this whole speech Yuuri was very quiet, but now he lowered himself to the ground next to Wolfram and slipped his hand into Wolfram's, lacing their fingers together. It was so unusual for Wolfram to open up like this and he treasured every second of it. Yuuri felt his fingers being squeezed tightly and he looked up just in time to see the first still faint glow of the sun light up the sky.

It was a truly magnificent sight as the orange disk rose slowly into the bright morning sky. They watched it together silently, when finally Wolfram gave Yuuri's hand another reassuring squeeze and stood up. "It's a new day. Time to go and face it." He turned around and started walking down the hill.

"Wolfram?"

It was almost too soft to hear, but Wolfram still stopped without turning around.

"Thank you."


	2. This is My World

Title: This is My World

Pairings: Yuuri/Wolfram

Rating: PG

Prompt: 52. Movie

Summary: Yuuri takes Wolfram on their first date. Only Wolfram does not know that it's a date, or what a date is, really. With a guest appearance by the ever lovely Miko-san.

A/N: Written as part of the 100 Situations challenge at the LJ community.

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Wolfram shook out his wet hair, looking around the bathroom with obvious disdain. "I hate travelling this way! Why did you need to bring me to Earth anyway?"

"I told you already that this is a surprise, so stop bugging me." Yuuri stepped out of the bath tub and grabbed two towels of the rack, passing one of them to Wolfram. He busied himself with drying off and tried his best to ignore the annoyed looks that the other boy was giving him.

The two of them then walked over to Yuuri's bedroom to find some dry clothes. Unfortunately patience was not one of Wolfram's virtues and even in the half dressed state he could not contain his curiosity any longer, "Oh come on, Yuuri, at least give me a little hint!"

"I was under the impression that I already gave you more than enough hints. I did tell you that since you introduced me to some of the Mazoku courting traditions, I thought I would return the favour and show you some of the Earth ones. You'll just have to wait for the rest."

"Well, can you tell me what this courting tradition of yours is called?"

Yuuri had just finished dressing and paused with his hand on the door knob. "I suppose. It's called a date."

Looking more than a little sceptical, Wolfram followed him into the corridor, "A date? Like a calendar date? What a stupid name. What does this 'date' entail?"

"I don't think a proper definition of a date even exists, because everyone sees it a little differently, but to me it's all about two people spending some time together, so that they can get to know each other better."

"Why would we need to do that? I already know that you are a wimp. What more is there to figure out?"

"Wolfram, you are analysing this too much. Going on a date is just something couples do."

A wide grin appeared on Wolfram's face, "Oh, so you admit that we are a couple!"

"AGH! No, I do not admit to anything! I just wanted to do something nice for you, in return for what you shared with me. Because what you did was very special to me. But you clearly don't care, so we can just go back to Shin Makoku, if that is what you want." Yuuri's patience was wearing thin and he was getting alarmingly close to throttling the other boy.

"All right, all right. No need to get snappy. I'm just curious that's all. Can't you tell me at least something?"

"Fine, all you had to do was ask nicely. We are going to see a movie. Happy now?"

"Not really, since I don't bloody know what that is. But I'll behave I promise."

"Look, let's just try to sneak out of the house quietly, because if my Mother is home then she won't…"

But it was a little too late for sneaking as they rounded the corner and run straight into Miko. "Yuu-chan! Wolf-chan! Why didn't you tell me you were coming over? I would have made my special curry!"

"Mother!" Wolfram gave Miko a big hug, looking just as excited. The boy's moods seemed to change so quickly it was impossible to keep up. "Yuuri is taking me on a date!"

Miko's eyes lit up at the word 'date'. "Oh, how delightful! At last Yuu-chan is starting to act like a proper gentleman. I'm so happy for the both of you. Where are you going anyway?"

The whole exchange only made Yuuri roll his eyes. Sometimes the similarities between his Mother and Wolfram were bordering on eerie. However the later appeared quite content to share all the details.

"We are going to see something called a 'mooffie'. Although I don't actually know what it is."

"'_Mooffie'_? Is that the new strip club that opened up two blocks away? Yuu-chan, surely you are not taking Wolf-chan to a strip club on your first date?" Yuuri's Mother was filled with righteous indignation. "I thought I brought you up better than that!"

"NO, Mother! A _movie_! I am taking him to see a movie. Why the first thought to come to your mind would be about a strip joint is beyond me." Yuuri was blushing so hard that even the tips of his ears were red. "We've got to go now, Mother, or we will be late. We'll see you later, all right?"

He grabbed Wolfram's hand and practically dragged him outside. As they headed down the street in the direction of the cinema, Wolfram managed to stay silent for all of two minutes.

"So what is this 'movie'?" He asked, carefully enunciating every syllable.

"Look, you already know practically everything. Can't we leave at least this one little part as a surprise?"

"You don't get it, do you? If we don't know what it is that we are going to see, then we cannot assess the potential dangers and we cannot adequately prepare ourselves against them. These are the most basic rules of combat and if you weren't such a wimp maybe you'd know this already!"

"Oh, come on, this is Earth we are talking about. It's my world and I know it well enough to say that we are pretty safe." Yuuri gave Wolfram an imploring look. "Can't you trust me on this?"

Looking thoroughly put out, Wolfram nodded nonetheless, "Of course, I trust you, you wimp! Did you honestly think I'd let you bring me all the way here, if I didn't?"

With all the bickering they didn't even notice that they had reached the cinema. Yuuri went to buy the tickets and the snacks as Wolfram stared around himself in fascination. He was so engrossed in one of the posters on the wall that he virtually jumped, when Yuuri came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"We are all set for the movie. Do you still want to know what it is?" The look Wolfram gave him more than answered the question. "A movie is a recording of people and places that relays some sort of a story. The best part is that you can watch it whenever you like."

After this explanation Wolfram seemed more confused than ever. "Sounds complicated. So what is the one we are watching today about?"

"It's called the 'Titanic' and it's about this ship… Look, I don't want to spoil it for you, but they do say that it is one of the greatest love stories ever told. Shall we get in there then, so you can see for yourself?" Yuuri jerked his chin towards the entrance to the cinema.

"Fine. Let's just go and watch this 'recording' of yours."

The boys settled into their seats and watched as the screen came alive with colourful images. As the events played out in front of them, Wolfram leaned over and kissed Yuuri sweetly on the cheek. "Thank you. Maybe not all the Earth traditions are so bad."

Throughout the rest of the movie Wolfram was strangely quiet and as they left the cinema Yuuri felt compelled to ask, "So? What did you think of the movie?"

"It was certainly interesting. Although if that is what your Earth people call 'true love', then I really don't know how the two of us are going to survive."

Yuuri smiled at him softly, "Oh, I think we will manage."


	3. Stuck With You

Title: Stuck With You

Pairing: Yuuri/Wolfram

Rating: G

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended.

Prompt: 93. Celebrate

Summary: A dull New Year's party and a silly romantic notion – what do you get? A lot of fluff is what.

A/N: Written as part of the 100situations challenge at the LJ. Even though this particular tradition isn't really part of the dating process, it's still a romantic notion that we humans hold dear and I think it fits into these series as a prequel of sorts. :)

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Yuuri plopped down on a nearby couch rather inelegantly and sighed. Exhausted was certainly at the top of the list of words that described how he felt right about now. Followed closely by annoyed and bored out of his mind. These official parties really took it out of you, and you were a fool if you believed Gunter when he said that it got easier with time.

Speaking of which, Gunter had just swished by him with some blue blooded heiress - to whom Yuuri was introduced earlier that evening and whose name he had now successfully forgotten – in his arms. Although from the longing look he sent in Yuuri's direction he clearly would have much rather preferred to dance with the King himself, but Yuuri decided not to dwell on that. In the midst of the dancing couples he could clearly see Cheri's shiny blonde curls bouncing around as she gyrated against yet another tall, dark and handsome stranger.

Gwendal was standing in a far corner having a heated argument with Anissina, who looked about ready to throttle him. And Murata kept showing up in odd places all around the room, 'working the crowd' as he liked to put it. Shouri usually liked to call it 'schmoozing', but what did he know? In other words it was a fairly normal party.

No one seemed interested in approaching him at the moment and so Yuuri burrowed further into the cushions, getting more comfortable. 'Finally some peace,' he smiled. But the moment Yuuri started to relax a heavy hand landed on his right shoulder making him jump. Slowly he turned around to find Conrad's familiar face staring down at him in concern.

"Your Majesty, are you all right? You look tired."

"Yeah, I'm a little, but it's OK."

"Well, there's only about 15 minutes left until midnight and after that you can easily sneak out. No one will probably notice and even if they do I'll cover for you."

"Thanks, Conrad," smiled Yuuri. "It's really good knowing that you are always watching out for me."

Conrad smiled, "That's what I'm here for. But are you sure you're feeling fine?"

"Yep, I'm good. Don't worry, Conrad." Yuuri gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm just going to go get some fresh air."

"OK. But hurry back. You don't want to miss the countdown to the new year."

Yuuri nodded and headed to the nearest balcony. He gave the room a once over then pulled the heavy velvet curtain aside and quickly stepped through making sure that no one could follow him.

The cool night air felt lovely on his overheated face, not to mention that Yuuri just felt happy to get away. But as he looked around he realised that he hadn't managed to get far – leaning against the banister was Wolfram. As he was the only person Yuuri hadn't seen inside, it made sense that he'd run into him out here.

He didn't feel like going back inside just yet and so he came closer and leaned on the banister next to Wolfram.

"Had enough of socialising, did you?" Wolfram's smile was teasing.

"You know I don't really like these things that much."

"Yeah. I think Gunter's the only one who actually enjoys them."

"He really does, doesn't he? So, what are you doing out here?"

"Same thing as you, I guess. Catching a break from that hungry pack of hyenas they call the nobles. And those ladies in there sure don't waste time – when it comes to you they try to cop a feel whenever they can! But you just go with the flow and let them do what they please, don't you?" Wolfram's eyes flashed dangerously with that last statement.

Yuuri snickered nervously, "Of course not! Why would you think that, Wolfram? I'm only doing my duty as the King to entertain the guests."

Wolfram had been standing with his hands laying flat down on the balcony's banister and Yuuri placed his left hand down near Wolfram's. He slowly shifted a little so that the sides of their hands brushed against each other.

The other boy didn't acknowledge it, but didn't pull away either. They stood silently side by side on the darkened balcony as the ballroom behind them exploded in a cacophony of laughter and applauds greeting the new year.

"Happy New Year, Yuuri."

"Happy New Year, Wolfram." Yuuri was quiet for a moment, then he turned to meet Wolfram's eyes. "You know, there's this little tradition we have on Earth," he moved his hand so that it rested on top of Wolfram's. "They say that however you greet the new year is exactly how you will spend it as well."

"So does this mean that we'll have to hide out in the dark on a balcony for the rest of the year?" Wolfram snickered. "You humans sure have some weird traditions."

"No, Wolfram. Don't take everything so literally. What I think it could mean is that we'll get to spend the rest of the year together though."

"Does it now?" He smirked. "Well, it could've been worse."

"What are you talking about?"

"You might have ended up spending the entire year glued together with Gunter. He'd enjoy it for sure."

A pained expression appeared on Yuuri's face. "Don't even joke about that. Gunter's great, he really is, but a whole year with him is just a bit too much for me to handle."

"Oh, so you're fine with being stuck with me for the whole long year? I'm honoured." He paused. "And I can't say that I mind this human tradition that much then."

Yuuri bumped his shoulder with Wolfram's playfully, "I don't mind it at all."


End file.
